Full of Flowers [solo]

The sun dyed the sky a warm shade of orange as it sunk into the horizon, the dark waters lapping quietly at the sands.  It was a rather scenic view, but Althea was never one to admire her surroundings.  She didn’t slow her pace in the slightest as she moved towards the sea.  With a black heart in one hand and the skeleton of a parasol in the other, she had her eyes set on the salty sea.  It hadn’t been long since she took care of the… what was it called?  It was a fairly demanding fight, although Althea came out unscathed her clothes hadn’t.  The gothic black dress she’d begrudgingly worn was in tatters and smelt really bad.  Maybe the mage shouldn’t have let herself be covered in the blood of the… you know what, she didn’t actually care.  But it was about time that she returned back to Magnolia for a session of much-deserved eating.  A small smile spread across her face as she thought of all the delectable tastes of food stands, wiping away her saliva as she gazed out towards the open ocean.

However, it seemed like she wouldn’t be able to leave peacefully.  “Hey.”  A sharp voice resounded behind Althea’s back.  “Don’t think you could just get away without having to confront me.”

The young girl didn’t need to turn around to know who the speaker was, “Twenty, my business is done here.  I’m gonna go now.”  She turned to offer the teen a lighthearted smile, “It was fun, so maybe we’ll be able to meet again?  Or, y’know, we can just ignore each other!”

The young man chuckled, crossing his arms, “Are you joking?  It’d be a crime against humanity if I simply turned a blind eye to you.”  His crimson eyes glowed with violence, “So I’m going to be asking questions while you answer, deal?”

Althea’s smile dissolved, replaced by a childish frown.  Twenty was several steps ahead of her strength-wise, so much so a straightforward fight would be disastrous.  However, she’d already made it clear that she wasn’t willing to step down when he showed murderous intent.  “Yeah, no thanks.  I have nothing to say to you.”

The blonde told herself she would refrain from taking the life of another when it wasn’t related to a job.  But from the looks of the ethernano swirling around Twenty, she’d have to go against that just this once.  Her blue eyes narrowed, as she tossed the remnants of her parasol into the sand, placing the black heart alongside it.  The pale-haired man slowly walked towards Althea, murderous intent overflowing.  A grin formed on the young girl’s visage, returning an intense amount of ill will back at Twenty.  Suddenly, sand was kicked up, the ocean rippled slightly, and the trees beside the beach swayed.  The two aetherials hadn’t appeared to move a single muscle, but the movements they made were so small yet quick a normal onlooker couldn’t have picked up on them.  Seconds passed, the lapping of the ocean and the shifting of trees serving as the only sound to fill the stiff air.  It was then, in a reaction delayed for those silent seconds, that Althea fell to the sand.  However, the youth wasn’t unconscious.  In fact, she was rather shocked.  A cold, numbing sensation filled her body, and no matter what she tried her limbs refused to move an inch.

“Huh, that was easier than I thought.  Are all aetherials this much of pushovers?”  Twenty muttered, using his foot to flip over Althea’s limp body.  He squatted down, a false smile painted over his features.  “Okay then, you’ll answer a few of my questions, right?”  However, Althea didn’t say a word.  It wasn’t that she was being stubborn, it was just that she couldn’t move her mouth.  What Twenty had used on her was a lot different than simple paralyzation.  Anyways, the young girl had resistance towards poisons, so it wouldn’t have been so effective towards her if that was the case.  She couldn’t twitch her finger, shift her gaze, or even feel the sand at her back.  It was as if her body had been reduced to a doll, the slayer acting as a simple onlooker.  Twenty had And it seemed like, Twenty noticed this very problem because it wasn’t long until Althea was swept away by yet another strange sensation.  “This will allow you to speak now, right?  Now tell me everything you know.”  The young man’s voice seemed jovial on the surface, but underneath was a dark shadow of murderous intent.

But the young mage wasn’t really in the mood to be cooperative.  “Hmm, this is a funny feeling.”  She remarked, her thoughts being transmitted directly from her head to Twenty’s.  “But what do you want me to tell you about?”

The aetherial’s smile widened, but it was apparent it was not prompted by any form of happiness.  “I’ll kill you right away if you try wasting my time.  Either way, I’m going to be gouging you out and painting the beaches with your blood.”

If Althea could frown, she would.  It was true that she was entirely at the young man’s disposal.  She was in a sort of ghost-like state similar to that of Psi during their initial meeting.  “Alright, fine, I’ll tell you everything I can about Kahoot.  The trick is to take the yellow-”

A searing pain split Althea’s mind in two.  “You know what I mean.  Who are you?  Where did you come from?”

“Gosh, fine,”  The youth murmured, slightly miffed, “I’m an angel- actually, aetherial is a way more accurate term.  Um, so I’m an aetherial, but you could already tell that.  You already know my name and that I’m from Fiore though.”

“If you make me clarify my question one more time, you’re dead.”

Althea sighed, “Okay, okay.  Since you didn’t immediately kill me with your authority, I’ll tell you some stuff.  I’m from the Aetherial Plane, of course, and-”

“Hold on, what’s an authority?  Also, where can I find this Aetherial Plane?”

If it was under normal circumstances, the blonde would’ve refused to answer any more questions.  Not only had he interrupted her in the middle of her painstakingly constructed sentence, but Twenty was asking some really silly questions.  What kind of aetherial was he that he didn’t know this stuff?  “Authority is your soul’s power, the Aetherial Plane is in the sky.”  She answered frankly.  “Is that good enough?”  Twenty’s dark expression said enough.  “Erm… I don’t really know how to explain authority… it’s kinda like magic I guess?”  She mused, “I mean, from the density of aether in the air, you’re using yours right now.  Meanwhile, the Aetherial Plane is the origin of aetherials.  Was that good?”

Twenty closed his crimson eyes, pondering for a bit before replying, “So it’s like magic, you say?  And I’m using it right now?  Is there any way to turn it off?”

“I don’t really get what you’re asking.  You’ve had it ‘off’ this entire time.”

“No, it’s… Assume that someone can’t control when their authority activates.  How do you stop that?”

“Woah, that’s a weird question,”  Althea exclaimed, but her intonation remained flat.  “An aetherial is their authority.  It’s authority first and then the personality.  If you can’t turn it off, then you were never supposed to turn it off.”

Twenty’s eyes narrowed, a red mist of bloodlust filling the air.  “What is that supposed to mean?!”

“Wow, now you’re getting all agitated.  It meant what I said, if an aetherial has no control over their authority, then it just can’t be helped.”

“Is there… any way to remove the authority?”

“That’s a pretty dangerous idea, but sure you can.  I mean, it’s less of removing the authority than it is destroying it after terminating the personality.  That’s just about the only way you can kill an aeth-”  The hot white skull-splitting pain returned, fading as quickly as it had appeared.  “Hey, isn’t that a bit unfair?  I was just answering your questions.”

“You’re not giving me the answers I want.  Anyways, why should I believe anything you say?”

“Hey, I’m doing you a service here.  I’ve been revising my opinion of you throughout this conversation, so I don’t mind explaining stuff.”  Althea chirped, and if she could’ve grinned at Twenty she would’ve.  Despite the fact he was an aetherial, the way he operated was extremely human.  Those antisocial celestial spirits would never willingly involve themselves in society for a long time as the young man had.  Something about his nature was distinctly “not aetherial”, so she was feeling pretty good about him at the moment.

However, it seemed like the other party didn’t reciprocate her feelings.  “What are you even talking about?  Y’know what, I can’t bother trying to decipher what you’re saying.  Be straightforward.”

Althea sighed but didn’t reply to Twenty with words.  Instead, she thrust out her hand to place her palm on the young man’s chest.  His eyes widened in shock before instantly increasing the distance between him and the water mage.  But it wasn’t like she had too little time to do what she meant to, and the youth got to her feet with a grin on her face.  “Time’s up, so let’s wrap this up, okay?  I don’t want to stick around longer than I need to.”  To be fair, the orange sand was paling to a moonlit silver as the sun dipped farther into the ocean.

“What...”  Twenty’s eyes narrowed, a magical aura forming around his body, “What did you do?”

Typically Althea wouldn’t willingly show her cards to her enemy, but it was slowly becoming more and more difficult to think of Twenty as a hostile entity.  If anyone asked her about something, she’d usually just give them an answer, so why not take a few moments to explain things?  “Well, um, you fractured my soul and stuff, so I just put it back together.  Pretty simple, actually.  I’ve actually had to do something pretty similar to someone else’s soul just recently.”  She elaborated, stretching her previously inanimate limbs.  “Pretty nasty authority ya got there though, can you go as far as completely breaking apart a soul?  Ah, you don’t actually need to answer that, I don’t need to know.  Instead, tell me what you need this whole explanation for.  I’ll probably give some better answers if you explain the situation.”

Twenty frowned, his red eyes narrowed, “Authority, huh?”  He sighed, “Well, I have no desire to tell you a single thing about myself, so I’m gonna pass on that offer.  Just tell me everything you know.”

The Fairy Tail mage held her chin in her hand, “Well, there’s a lot to say.  I can’t think of every single detail off the top of my head.”

“Alright then, tell me what aetherials even are then.  Assume I know nothing about them other than their name.”

Althea gave Twenty a look of disbelief, but she was only met by a lofty shrug.  “Erm… I dunno… I guess they’re like celestial spirits.  Actually, yeah, they’re just like those guys.”  She said, nodding as she pondered over their similarities.  Both didn’t live on Earthland, both had a connection to magic, and both had to form contracts and such to stick around.  The only glaring difference was their range of power and abilities, but that was a whole other topic.  Oh, also the presence of “aether” that served as the race’s namesake.

“Celestial spirits…?  I guess I don’t know the first thing…”  The blonde-haired man seemed to be in deep thought.  The last thing the slayer wanted to do was disturb someone while they were thinking, but this time around it was rather important for her to point out.

“Hey, Twenty, when I touched you earlier I messed with your wings a bit.  I just wanted to say since it doesn’t seem like you noticed.”

“Which wings?!”

“Eh, what do you mean ‘which’?  Even if your wings are blackened, you should only have one pair.”

Twenty’s gaze made Althea feel as if he thought she was stupid… “No...? That makes no sense though...??”

No wonder the adventurer hadn’t immediately reverted his wings to their previous state, he didn’t even know they existed.  It was kind of like being told that you had moldy cheese in your fridge, but you’d never made a single purchase of cheese in your life.  “But… how do you not know…?”

“Man, it’s been a while since I left the country.”  A lithe young man was lounging on the bench of the ferry boat.  And of course, their identity was that of Twenty.  But anyone who looked at him wouldn’t guess it with that altered appearance and pseudonym of “Eikosi”.  Althea was being forced against her will to ride a vehicle along with him, but it wasn’t like it was only the two of them.

“Yeah, it’s kinda like a nice vacation after all the work we’ve done, right?”  A young boy said brightly, his gaze fervently admiring the open sea.  It was Site, and he wasn’t even invited to come along with Althea back to Fiore.  It was something he decided for himself when he heard about the trip from Twenty.

Honestly, the youth just wanted to ditch both of them and go back the way she had arrived, but alas there was a reason for taking the hassle of riding a boat.  After her turbulent conversation with Twenty, both sides had arrived at a point where they no longer wished to release information.  She wouldn’t explain more about the nature of aetherials and the adventurer wouldn’t tell her anything about himself.  She felt no desire to be hostile with him and he felt her explanation was too important to resort to some old fashioned murdering.  And thus, in an almost silent agreement, they would simply be trying to squeeze out as much as possible from each other over a longer period.  The lacrima-powered self-driving boat was something acquired through Twenty’s various connections, but the speed at which it was dropped off was really something.  That didn’t change the fact it was pretty bothersome for Althea when she had plenty of traveling to do, but Mr. Site Lohel had to come along as well.  It seemed like Twenty wasn't willing to talk about aetherials in front of the young boy, so the blonde had to wait for an opportunity to try forcing Twenty’s body to manifest his wings.

After all, they weren’t just an extra limb, an aetherial’s wings served as conduits for aether.  Aether fuels authorities which then help perpetuate the spirits’ life.  Losing one’s wings spelled death, but even if you cut them off you don’t really cut them off.  Sure, it’s a weak spot, but “wings” run deep into an aetherial’s body, so you’d need special ways to directly attack them.  Althea was only able to do some with Twenty because she had two authorities, and even then the damage she inflicted was easily reversible.  Well, actually it was more like one and a half authorities.  Wait, no, two halves to make up one whole.  Her innate one was a messy matter and the one from the Angel of Dreams needed some attuning before she could properly claim it as her own.  A long and sickening boat ride was the perfect time to sort out that matter as well as dig into a few matters.

The young girl turned to her two fellow passengers, “I’m gonna take a nap.  Try not to wake me up please.”

Site’s vivid blue eyes widened, “Huh?  Already?  But we can still see the shore from here!  You can’t leave me alone with Twenty-”

“What, you’re saying I’m bad boat company?”  The older youth droned while furiously disheveling Site’s dirty blonde hair.  The young boy put up a brave resistance, but it was apparent who would be coming out on top.  Well, it was none of Althea’s concern, it was time for her to sleep through the entire boat trip.


It was as if she was looking out into a black sea of space.  Sure, she knew her dreamscape had undergone some drastic changes, but what she found surpassed her expectations.  Althea found herself floating around in a wooden coffin decorated with candles and pale roses.  Well, it was also akin to a bathtub since the same black liquid that surrounded the youth filled her coffin to the halfway point.  No matter how hard she tried, the water mage could barely discern where the black ocean met the abyss at the horizon.  Even Althea’s appearance was altered, but the fact she’d just moved from one boat to another was extremely displeasing.  Forget the lolita look that she’d lost in favor for a white lace nightgown, why did she have to be in a sea vessel?

“It’s been a while Althea.  How are things?”  A distorted voice reached the young girl’s ears before she found the speaker.  But it wasn’t like their identity was any mystery.  Who else could be inhabiting her dreamscape other than the notorious dream eater?  A hazy black figure emerged from the dark tides, their height being at a measly six inches.  The mage was tempted to compare the appearance to that of how she envisioned fairies, but hopefully the two weren’t too similar.  The dream eater had dark angel wings, was wrapped in a chain and lock, and wore a nightgown not too different from Althea’s.  Despite the presence of wings, the appendages never move and the creature simply floated around midair.  The way its white eyes glowed in the abyss and the lack of any real facial features was a bit spooky, and their long silver hair gave off a ghostlike impression.

“Nah, it hasn’t really been that long since we saw each other.  But more importantly, what’s with the boat coffin thing?”  The slayer replied, crossing her arms as she gazed down at her bathtub boat.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, this place will change as the authority gets more used to you.  Still, it sure is barren.  It was pretty empty before too, do you have a bad imagination or something?”

“Sure, whatever you say.”  Althea dismissively turned her head away from the floating nightmare.  “But you know what I’m here for, right?”

“To be nosy about Twenty?  Yeah, but why are you intrigued enough to go to such lengths?”  The horrifying little creature chirped, whirling around Althea’s head.

“Hmm, well he clearly has some kind of circumstances going on.  I just want to try helping out.  It isn’t really that bothersome either, I would’ve had to do something like this eventually.”

“I mean, you were fine leaving me here in your dreamscape for a very long time after you devoured me.  I can’t even call it devouring--you just integrated me into yourself!  I’ve been cheated.”

“Yeah, okay, sorry for cheating you out of the death you wanted.  Can I go ahead and have the dream I want to now?”

“Well, Twenty’s mental barrier is pretty impenetrable at the moment, but Site seems like easy pickings.”

Althea turned back towards the winged nightmare with a frown, “That’s a weird way to phrase it, but okay.  They have some sort of history, right?  Let’s use the residue thoughts you’ve built up to recreate the memory.”

The aetherial floated silently in the air before responding, “Well, it’s not really recreating the memory.  I’ll just be putting together a bunch of puzzle pieces I’ve gathered from Site and a bunch of other people to try and guess that happened.  Some stuff may be outright fictitious…”

“Well, I don’t care.  Get the dreamscape moving, nightmare.”

“I’ve really been cheated, huh.”  The pixie-like creature murmured before floating a few feet away from the coffin boat.  Then, the black ocean receded, parting like a cluster of clouds making way for the pale blue sky.  The only difference was that Althea was in the sky while she was looking down at the earth.  Her coffin still remained airborne, but with the direction of the nightmare, it slowly began descending towards the ground.

“Oooh, this is where I first met Site, huh?  I remember it because of the floor trap he used…”  The blonde remarked as she gazed down at the foreboding black manor overlooking a village.  “This is, um, River Village?  Yeah, that’s it, but how come the scenery is so hazy?  It’s like a low-quality TV broadcast.”

“You’ve got to remember this isn’t reality.  Dreams build themselves around the person experiencing them, so the farther we are away from our main dreamer the less defined things are.”  The nightmare elaborated as they passed through the walls of the manor like a bunch of specters.  “Anyways, here’s our destination.  It’s time to just sit back and watch this all play out.”

Althea nodded, silently observing the room she’d been moved into.  Just like the nightmare said, things were much more defined than the world outside the manor.  She could easily inspect the spacious room, the darkly colored wooden floorboards, and the lacrima lamps that stood in the corners.  The room’s walls were lined with bookcases that reached all the way to the ceiling, and Althea could easily make out the name of every title on the book’s spines.  Several ladders and step stools were propped up against them, but that wasn’t the main draw of her attention.  That’s because in the very back of the room sat an even younger than usual Site, seriously jotting on documents at his desk.  The young boy still had the same messy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes and wore a white shirt with black shorts.  The only noteworthy difference (other than height) was the presence of long, fluffy brown animal ears that extended from the sides of his head.  But even that wasn’t entirely new, Site had those back when he and Althea initially met.  To be fair, he was much furrier back then, so whatever affliction he had must’ve faded away in time.

The blonde glanced at the pixie-like nightmare.  “Hey, how long are we going to just watch Site do work?  Twenty’s supposed to be here too, right?”

“Yeah, it’ll only take a second.”  The creature replied frankly, keeping their empty eyes on the young boy.


Site looked over the documents spread across his desk with a fine-tooth comb, making sure he hadn’t missed out on any problems.  The dark wooden desk was a bit too large for the juvenile’s current height, but a stack of pillows on top of his armchair easily amended that issue.  It had been a reasonable amount of time since the blonde boy had properly taken over the role of duke for his territory.  The title was a hereditary one, and Site was forced to become one after the premature loss of his parents.  Well, that was a while ago, so long that he couldn’t clearly recall either of his parents’ faces.  From what the youth could tell from speaking to the townsfolk, his father Braxton had been an unparalleled duke in both the management of his land, treatment of his citizens, and even skill in magic.  But Site could only say he was decent in one of those fields, that’s why he opted to take care of paperwork allowing a neighboring duchess by the name of Lizbeth Taylor to help him out in the areas he lacked.

She was well respected in Fiore, and she was able to leave a large chunk of territory management in the hands of her husband.  Still, there were times the noble was unavailable, so that meant Site had to deal with plenty of emergencies with his own flawed judgment.  Sure, it was difficult to manage things by himself, but that was mostly due to the lack of a duke for the few previous years.  All sorts of aspects were completely out of order due to lackluster management on the part of the temporary duke that took things over while Site was being ravaged by that curse.  But working for the sake of his people was more than enough for him to be satisfied.

But suddenly, the office’s window burst open, a gust of wind swirling into the workplace.  Site’s eyes were wide as he watched the figure of a man manifest right before his eyes.  No, this creature was far different than any human.  He had disheveled peach-colored hair, sharp eyes that shared the same color, and wore clothes that were completely different from the norm in Site’s territory.  They were black with intricate golden accents but gave the impression of a rugged yet member of foreign nobility.  Despite this, he lacked any kind of footwear and had long, pointed ears.  But the most concerning detail was his black demonic horns that bore a tinge of red.  And as the youth was trying to recover any semblance of composure, two sets of batlike wings extended from his back.

“Hey…”  The demonic intruder’s voice echoed throughout the room.  “Where’s Dec?”

Site was stunned silent, the powerful air surrounding the being preventing any words from escaping his throat.  His pen had long left his hand, but no matter how much he scrutinized the situation there wasn’t a single foreseeable way to call for help.  After all, anyone who could pass through the shield formed by the neighboring duchess was far too powerful for a magicless young boy like Site to deal with.

The demonic man stepped towards the blonde’s desk, his eyes betraying his confusion.  “Oi, I’m talking to you, kid.  Where the heck is Dec?  This is the Decarus household, right?”

“I…”  With time, Site was finally able to let out his voice.  “Decarus was the precious name of this household.  Currently, it’s… called Lohel.”

“What the-?  Lohel?  But why…”  The demon’s eyes narrowed as he placed his hand on Site’s desk.  “Hey, kid, who even are you?”

The young boy’s mouth ran dry as he gazed upwards at the young man’s visage.  “I-I’m Kite, erm, Kite Wess.”  He replied.  It wasn’t the best of fake names--the false last name was simply the name of the head butler--but it was good enough.  To prevent any immediate incidents, it was important not to be completely subservient.

“Oh?  So a young kid with a last name is working here?  I guess anyone could contribute to the household as long as their skills are good.”  The young man let out a sigh, his horns, and a set of his wings dissipating into the air.  “Alright then, Kite, can you tell me what’s been happening here?  Start a few years back please.”

“Oh, erm,”  Site wasn’t prepared to be put on the spot, but perhaps this could be his opportunity to deal with the intruder?  “I… I don’t know much myself, but I can take you to someone who does.”  He nearly whispered, shakily slipping down his tower of pillows.  “...Follow me, mister.”

“Alright then, Kite.  Anyways your pretty well-mannered aren’t ya?  It’s a good thing though, I never like having to deal with brats.”

“I-”  The young boy bit back a retort as he opened the door to his study and strode into the hallway.  “Please, call me Wess.  That’s how everyone else refers to me as well.”  It was true that most people never referred to Site by his first name.  And “Kite” was close enough to his actual name that he couldn’t help but feel wrong being referred to in that manner.

“Huh?  But that’s your last name though?”

“Yes, but I-”

“Then that means your Kite!  Try using the name your parents gave you.”  The stranger concluded forcefully.  It was immediately apparent that no amount of reasoning would change his mind, so the young duke just focused on navigating his manor.  It was helpful that the servant population was still low from years of having no inhabitants, so there was no one to interrupt him.  Eventually, the pair came to their destination, a set of doors not too different from the ones for the study.

“Erm, Duchess Taylor?”  The boy knocked deftly on the set of doors.

“What are you doing?  Aren’t you one of the big dogs here?  You were working in the duke’s office.  No need for knocking.”  The demonic young man brushed past Site and flung open the doors on his own.  It revealed a room not too different from Site’s own personnel study.  The density of books was much lower, but that left room for more lush furniture.

“Oh, uh, apologies...”  The boy’s eyes shakily scanned the room, and his heart sank to find it empty.  He hadn't thought that his throat could get any dryer, but now speaking made it seem like sandpaper was lodged down his throat.  “It seems that… Duchess Taylor isn’t in the estate at the moment.”

“Hm?  How can you be positive that she isn’t elsewhere?”  The stranger began rifling through documents that had been neatly laid out on the duchess’s desk.

Site’s eyes traveled to his shoes, struggling to prevent himself from protesting such a breach of privacy.  If this being so willed it, he’d be rendered into meat paste in an instant.  “The duchess is an extremely busy woman-”

“Alright, fine.”  The pink-haired man sighed, briskly walking away from the Duchess’s desk and back towards Site.  “Do you know anyone else who can explain recent happenings in the territory?  Actually-”  The man leaned in towards the young boy, “How come you don’t know any details?  C’mon, you know the duke, right?”

“A-Actually-”  Site was about to point out that he was the duke, but quickly clamped his mouth shut.  At the moment, the trespasser simply assumed that, despite his age, he was in some kind of position of power.  But who knows what could happen when he learned of Site’s true position?  A ransom would put unneeded strain on the duchess and his citizens, so he’d need to avoid that situation at all costs.  “Actually, erm, recently the Duchess arrived…”

The young man’s eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms, “Tell me what happened to the Decarus household.”

Site’s lips pursed as his blood ran cold.  He seriously didn’t want to talk about that aspect of his territory’s past.  And yet, there wasn’t much choice, was there?  “Well, the reason why the name changed was because the previous duke--Rowan Decarus--was killed by his mistress and-”

“What did you say?”  The stranger released a strong yet unmistakable bloodlust, his overcast eyes becoming chilling pools.  The very pressure the young boy was experiencing was the very reason why he did anything to satisfy the stranger.  Just by standing there, Site felt as if he was being violently wrung by the neck.  No matter how desperately he tried, the sound was unable to leave his mouth.  He was a predator scared stiff by a predator, helplessly looking up at the dark, inhuman figure of their imminent death.  “Decarus is…”  The stranger’s voice faded into a mumble, his bloodlust fading alongside it.  Maybe it was because he had gotten over his initial emotions or perhaps because he realized Site had been struggling to breathe under the demonic pressure.

Site, finally free from his prison of fear, collapsed to his knees while clutching his heart.  It felt as if the thumping of the organ was traveling directly to his head and that everything would burst at the smallest provocation.  “Oh, umm,”  The stranger awkwardly reached out to pat the trembling youth’s back before helping him back to his feet.  “Sorry about that… I’m back now… Lost control just for a second...”  He kept trailing off his sentences, almost like he forgot he was speaking to Site in the first place.  “Do you know anything else about Dec- the previous duke?”

“I…”  Site hesitated.  Not only due to the shock he just experienced, but an unwillingness to disclose any more information.  If possible, he didn’t want to have to speak about the matter as if it had nothing to do with him.  That was the task of other people.  “If we go into town, there’ll be plenty of people who know more than me…”

“Lead the way.”

“...give me a moment to prepare, please.”  Site almost murmured, his eyes still glued to the floor.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll be waiting in the front.”  The stranger loftily exited the duchess’ office, not making a single sound as he lightly left Site’s line of view.  The moment he left, Site covered his mouth to prevent any bile from escaping.  Sure, it had been scary, but the stress of the situation was really getting to him.  Being reminded of the incident involving the Decarus household didn’t help, so at the moment he was experiencing a bit of a cold sweat.  But recovering his nerve wasn’t the only reason Site requested time to prepare for the venture into town.  Too many people would recognize the duke of the territory, especially when they were a child with distinctive animal ears.  Sure, he could try and take the time to call for help, but after the display of bloodlust from the stranger, he wasn’t sure if that was the best idea.  Either way, it didn’t take long for Site to discover the plain cloak he often used when moving outside of the manor.  Going on a small escapade to the woods to enjoy the scenery never failed to put his heart at peace.

But with that, he was prepared both physically and mentally to head into town.  “...I’m done.”  He uttered as he met up with the stranger at the front of his household.

“Ah, you needed a disguise?  Well, I guess it doesn’t matter much.  Let’s get going.”  The pink-haired stranger said before making his way down the path towards the village.  But as Site watched his furled bat wings, it seemed extremely unlikely the pair would be able to blend in.  The youth’s worries were proven valid the moment they entered the town.  The stranger wasn’t a sight you’d see often outside the city, and perhaps the person of short stature trailing behind him didn’t help the situation.

“Hey.”  The young man spoke to a middle-aged man unloading a carriage of goods into his stall.  “What happened to the previous lord here?”

The merchant’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at the stranger before resuming his work.  “I dunno, heard that he died or something.”

“Come on, you can do better than that.  I can tell from the fact you’re carrying goods in such a large quantity that you’re no stranger to this area.”

“Yes, but you are.  I’m not one who likes to disclose info about a situation like that.”

“It isn’t like no one else is already talking about it.”  The young stranger smoothly slipped something into the merchant’s pocket.  “I just want a clear idea about the story here.”

The man paused, the sharp look in eyes softening, “Just so you know, I don’t want anything to do with the trouble you’re stirring up.”  Finally, he completely pointed all his attention in the stranger’s direction.  “This town is a good one, and despite what they say the old duke was excellent.”

For the first time since learning of the death of the previous duke, the stranger cracked a wry grin, “Don’t worry, I know.”

The merchant let out a weary sigh, unloading three barrels from his cart, “You may want to sit down for this one.”  The man brought out a cigarette as the stranger and Site sat down on the barrels.  “Rowan Decarus.  It wouldn’t be an understatement to say he was the best of the “Decarus” line.”  He let out a puff of smoke.  “Did a lot to improve the circulation of foreign goods.  It was around then that I started doing business here.  Well, it’s still good in this town, but you must’ve heard about Rowan dying and the household name changing.”  Site’s fists clenched, he knew the story that was coming.  “There was this young woman that arrived in the territories.  People say that she was some kind of inhuman monster, but I saw her back when she was around Rowan.  She sure didn’t look human, but there was no doubting her beauty.  The duke never struck me as being superficial, but maybe that’s why he kept her in the manor despite all the other nobles’ demands.  They said she was the one causing this whole monster issue in the past--well, that’s a whole other story.  What matters is that the two got married under some nasty circumstances.  No one outside this territory acknowledged the relationship, but that never stopped them.  I’d say they were pretty happy until that girl ended up killing her hus-”

“That’s impossible.  Those two-”  The stranger’s chilled voice interrupted the merchant.  A slight aura of magic rose off his body, but with a deep breath let the energy nestle back where it belonged.  “How would something like that happen?”

“I’m just telling you what I’ve heard.”  He said with a shrug, “Just know that the household name changed because there was no “true” heir, so an entirely new line needed to be made.”

The young man’s peach-colored eyes narrowed, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that since Rowan’s wife was just a mistress in the archduke’s eyes, their kid had his mother’s maiden name, Lohel.  Rowan didn’t have a single family member willing to take on the role, so it was passed on to the kid and the household name changed to reflect that.”

“Seriously?!  Where’s the kid then?”

The merchant let out yet another huff of smoke.  “I don’t know.  No one does.  Last time people knew his whereabouts, the kiddo was cursed.  Now we have the nearby duchy handling all the public drivel.”

The stranger sat cross-legged on the barrel, their arms crossed.  “But why would they do that if no one wants the territory?”

“Well, out of spite of course.”  The sight of the demonic young man’s eyes widening was enough to prompt a dry grin from the merchant.  “They didn’t like him, so they tried to kill him.  Simple enough, right?  Rowan was rather adored by those in his territory.  Maybe you can talk to the kid if you speak to the duchess though.  She’s the one who gained custody just from asking nicely.  The lady, Lizbeth Taylor,  should be doing the rounds at this very moment.”

“Is that so,”  The stranger placed his hands on his knees, “Still, I can’t believe Dec is gone...”

“‘Dec’?”

The young man grinned jovially, “Yeah, he hated it when I called him that!  But eventually he just got used to it.”

Site, who had remained both silent and moving for the entire explanation, cast a shocked gaze at the stranger.  However, the merchant beat him to the punch in replying, “What?  Did you know the previous duke personally?  You don’t look any older than twenty though…”

The stranger simply laughed, “Yeah, things like that happen sometimes.  Magic, y’know?  It’s been a decade since I came here, but I thought at least one person should’ve remembered-”

“Sir Fiche.”  A curt yet elegant voice resounded behind the trio.  And standing there in the streets was none other than the duchess, Lizbeth Taylor.  She had curly blonde hair that reached to her shoulders, vibrant green eyes, and a rosy complexion.  The white, blue, and gold dress she wore was short in the front and long in the back, and her high white boots helped further accentuate her thighs.  She wore an elegant veil that seemed similar to a nun’s habit as well as black and gold combat gloves, but the most striking feature was the firearms hanging by her waist.  “What brings me the pleasure of running into you again?”

This was it, the duchess had finally shown up!  It seemed like she was acquainted with the demon called Fiche as well, so there was hope for Site!  The being seemed extremely strong--it even knew the previous duke, but the duchess was renowned for her martial prowess.  But before the youth had the opportunity to convey this to the duchess, the stranger had already leaped from his barrel and gave the woman a wild handshake with both hands.

“Oh man, Winnie!  I didn’t expect you to still be here!”  He chirped, a wide grin on his face that bordered between mocking and joyful.  “It’s been too long, we need to catch up-”

The duchess tore her gloved hands away from the man’s grasp, her green eyes betraying her disgust.  “No touching, you pillock.”

The two onlookers to the unbelievable exchange had been rendered dumbstruck, but it was the merchant who spoke first.  “Erm, Lady Duchess, do you know this young man?”

The usually cool and collected duchess shot the pink-haired man a searing glare, “Yes, he’s an old… acquaintance.”

“Aw, don’t be like that, Winnie, we’re totally friends by now… wait, duchess?!  Since when!?”

The merchant’s confusion only seemed to deepen, “Erm, who else would be Duchess Lizbeth Taylor?  I knew that you weren’t familiar with the area, but for it to be to that extent…”

“But there’s no ‘Winnie’ to be found in there??”

Now both parties were utterly confounded.  However, the duchess’s patience seemed to have run out, “Alright then, I’m sorry for disturbing your business, sir.  You two, we’re going somewhere more private.”

“Erm, don’t worry about it duchess.”  The merchant stood from his barrel, discarding his cigarette and extinguishing it with his shoe.  “Everyone in the territory is thankful for the work you’re doing.”

Lizbeth turned, but from where Site was exiting his seat he could see a droll smile on her face.  “Not ‘everyone’, good sir.”  Once again, Site was amazed by the elegance of Duchess Taylor. Very few people could ever hope to measure up to her, perhaps even Rowan was within her realm of charisma?

However, Fiche didn’t seem to be feeling all that impressed.  “Wow, Winnie really aimed high, huh?  To think you had been willing to settle before.  You managed to get married before you started looking too old! It must’ve been a while ago, because right now-”

“Get moving, you ninny.”  The duchess hissed, her hand reaching for one of her lacrima pistols.

“Okay, fine, no need for violence, Winnie!”  The demon muttered as he followed in the duchess’s wake.

“Sir Fiche, I am currently called Duchess Lizbeth Emerald Taylor, so please refer to me as such.”

“Wow, seriously, I thought that was just a joke.  What happened to that ‘Decarus’ you were clinging to?”

“Weren’t you the one who vehemently insisted that I should change my last name?”

“Yeah, I wanted you to change it back to Winseclaus!  What kind of nicknames can I find with ‘Taylor’?  Lor?  Tay?  Yeah, I’m just going to stick with Winnie.”

“I implore that you don’t, you mollycoddle.”

“You’re still mixing weird insults in with your refined speech, huh?  Glad that part hasn’t changed a bit.”

“Nothing about you has changed at all, Sir Fiche.  But you,”  Site had simply been trying to comprehend the situation when the duchess cast her constraining glare at the youth.  “What are you doing in town?”

The young boy struggled to find his words, “Um, I, erm-”

“I asked Kite about what happened to Dec, so he brought me out here.”  The demonic man tilted his head, “Is there some kind of problem?”

The duchess’s eyes traveled between Fiche and Site, “Are you…?”  She let out a sigh, “You took your time coming back, hobbledehoy.  You know what the townsfolk know, right?”

The air suddenly became a lot colder as Fiche lost his happy go lucky expression, “Yeah, but is that even possible?”

Lizbeth’s strides hastened as she led the pair back to the manor, “Let’s not talk about it here.”

The manor’s proximity to the village once again proved useful because it didn’t take long for the trio to finally make their way back.  But it didn’t seem like entering the residence was enough for the duchess’s security concerns.  There was a negligible amount of people in the manor, but Site could only guess the matter at hand was just that important.  Well, that and the fact he was in for a big earful from the lady.  Duchess Taylor tended to only use the insults she did with the demon when she was seriously angry, but it wasn't like the youth hadn't gotten his fair share of verbal abuse.

The group was led by the duchess back into Site’s study, locking the door behind them.  “Alright, you idiots.”  She said with a flip of her golden locks, sitting on top Site’s desk.  “It’s time to start with introductions.”

Fiche tilted his head quizzically, “What do you mean, Winnie?  I already know both of you guys.  More importantly, where is those two’s-”

“Twenty.”  The woman’s green eyes narrowed as she coldly uttered the unfamiliar name.  “I want you to start.”

Site was completely lost at this point, but from the demonic man’s reaction whatever she said was effective.  His lofty air had begun to chill as he gazed stonily at the duchess.  “Oi, I’m not sure you really understand the gravity of saying my true name?”

The older woman scoffed, crossing her legs as she brushed a stray curl behind her ears.  “Just do as I ask, mongrel.”

Site was breathless as he watched for Fiche - no - Twenty’s reaction.  However, his cold expression had already been substituted with a mischievous grin.  “Okay, alright!  I’ll say the important stuff!”  He emitted a pressure, but it wasn’t suffocatingly intense like it had been back in the duchess’s study.  Twenty’s horns returned as he smiled at Duchess Taylor.  Site hadn’t been noticed before, but the young man’s canines were too sharp for a human.  “I’m Twenty, the one and only guild master of Ca-Elum.  A demonic entity of sorts - well, I guess that isn’t accurate.  The term is “aetherial”, but words are all arbitrary if you don’t understand the meaning.  Just know that I’m akin to a nameless devil.”  A wild glimmer appeared in his pink eyes as he continued, the air becoming more and more oppressive with time.  “Anyways, I was good friends with Dec - Rowan Decarus, so I came here to check on him.  That good enough, old hag?”

Duchess Taylor frowned, seemingly unfazed by the strained air, “Indeed, but there’s no need to refer to me as ‘old hag’, you undisciplined dog.”

Twenty simply laughed, running his hand through his pink locks, “I mean, you were the one who started calling me ‘Twenty’ out of nowhere.  That’s not something I like admitting to anyone, so you better have a good explanation.”  Despite the demonic young man’s words, the intense atmosphere reverted to normal.

“Well, I do apologize for that.  It was uncalled for and rather uncouth of me.  More importantly,”  Site stiffened slightly as the duchess’s sharp gaze traveled to him, “Everything this mutt has said is correct, you urchin.  So hurry up and introduce yourself properly.”  Site’s eyes widened as he heard the duchess’ words.  How could it make any sense at all for this demon to be friends with Rowan?  No one ever mentioned such an existence to him before, but if he thought about it in that light all previous interactions suddenly made a lot more sense.  The way Twenty reacted to the news of the previous duke's death, him knowing the duchess, the fact he had simply burst into the study uninvited-- well, that one was still abnormal to Site.

Twenty sighed, shaking his head slowly, “Old hag, I don’t go around with people if they don’t tell me their name.  You of all people should know that.”

“Well clearly you’ve lost your touch, mutt.  Hurry up, urchin, we don’t have all day.”

Site gulped, drawing back the hood of his cloak before stiffly turning towards Twenty.  “You can call me Lohel… Site Lohel.  I’m currently the current duke of this territory.  It’s a pleasure to be acquainted…”

“Urchin, if you’re polite with a filthy dog like Twenty, you’ll just end up being pushed around by him.”

The young boy’s eyes returned to his feet.  “Oh, um, sorry…”

“Urchin, what did I say about apologizing for small things?  It’s unfit behavior for a noble, fix it.”  The woman shot back, rendering Site silent.  But the blonde boy wasn’t the only one unable to speak, Twenty was staring at him with an odd look.  Wordlessly, the demonic spirit reached out and roughly pulled at the young boy’s animal ears.

“Ugwah?!”  The youth cried before moving out of the young man’s reach.  “Th-These aren’t fake!”

“Yeah, unlike that name you gave me, Kite Wess.  I don’t know whether I should be pissed off or happy right now.  More importantly-”  Twenty seemed annoyed as he flicked Site’s forehead.  The young boy couldn’t help but let out a small yelp from the sudden blow, but the warmth spreading across his body was much stranger.  However, the demonic man’s expression only worsened, “Dammit, you really are their kid.  How stupid…”

Meanwhile, Duchess Taylor was displaying a shocked expression that didn’t fit her image of “beautiful, intelligent, and strong leader”.  “What the-?  You mangy mutt, how did you dispel the urchin’s curse instantly?”

“Huh, the curse…?”  Site hastily placed his hands on his ears, but instead of a fluffy mass, his fingers only encountered normal human ears.  “H-Huh?!”  The young boy let out yet another dumbfounded voice, but such development was unprecedented.  It wasn’t that the duchy was lacking in resources to dispel the curse, rather, the opposite was true.  But there simply weren’t any ways to dispel the curse within mere seconds.

However, performing such a feat didn’t seem like anything special for Twenty, “Really, you’re impressed by just this much?  I’m not even that good at dispelling stuff.”  He said with an aloof tone, moving to inspect some papers on Site’s desk.  “It really is annoying though… did Sigil seriously kill Dec?”

Duchess Taylor opened her mouth to respond, but as her gaze traveled to Site she pursed her lip closed.  “Urchin, you may leave now.”

“Don’t mind me, I already know the whole situation anyway.”

The duchess had a complicated expression, but Twenty spoke before the woman was allowed time to reply.  “Wait,”  He tore his eyes away from the documents, his narrowed gaze fixated on Site, “You knew everything?  Oh, right, no duh you do.  But then why did we have to go into town??”

The duchess frowned, “Who would tell that kind of information to someone they just met?  The urchin isn’t that kind of a brat.  He was looking around in my office for me, right?  Clearly, he was hoping I’d be able to kick you out, your wet dog.”

Twenty gritted his teeth and shot a harsh glare at the duchess, “I don’t understand why I even let you talk to me the way you do.”

“Me neither, it must be because a loyal dog always follows his master’s orders.”  She turned to Site, “Lohel, you’ve inherited the mutt, alright?  Feel free to tell him to do whatever you want, he probably won’t say no.”

The young man had seemed peeved before, but now he was seriously bothered, “What’s with calling Site by ‘Lohel’?  It’s his last name, at least try and feign closeness with a human being other than yourself.”

“That… That’s not it-”

“I just prefer being called Lohel.”  Site interjected, his blue eyes meeting Twenty’s wild gaze before retreating back to the floor.  “Site is a weird name, so…”

Twenty now seemed to be in an incredibly bad mood, “The hell?  Don’t call the name your parents gave you weird.”

“No, it’s just that my mother-”

“Kid, I don’t want to hear any excuses.  I’m calling you Site.  It’s important that at least one person out there does.”

The room was rendered silent, but soon Site rediscovered his words, “Duchess…”

“Call me Mrs. Taylor.”  She said curtly.

“Oh, sorr-- erm, Mrs. Taylor, you said he’d do what I asked, but he won’t call me by my last name?”

“Well, sometimes a master’s demands can be unreasonable.”  The woman shot back as she sat up from the youth’s desk.  “Anyways, it’s about time Twenty and I have a chat.  Go sort out all the curse cures we have no need for.”

Site was about to insist on his continued presence, but just one sharp look from the duchess was enough to clamp his mouth shut.  Still, tasking him to sort out such a messy matter?  It was clear that Twenty was in for a long chat, so maybe he should be glad for being allowed to step outside the study.  The young boy let out a deep sigh as he walked across the manor’s desolate hallways.  The sight of his shadow actually startled him a few times, but such was the effect of suddenly reverting his ears to their previous form.  How long had it been since Site’s shadow didn’t have long inhuman ears attached to them.  As he began working in the duchess’s office, the young boy couldn’t help but smile as he checked his ear again and again.  Despite the fact Duchess Taylor and the ever-mysterious Twenty had been discussing circumstances surrounding him, he had been little more than an observer during their exchange.  He was aware of the duchess’s prior relationship with the marquess, but the idea of Twenty having known both Site’s parents was still foreign.

But aside from that, the youth still had to cancel all those orders of curse dispelling talismans.  They were professionally made in some part of Iceberg, but no one could argue with their effectiveness.  The only reason Site was still suffering from the curse’s effects was because the nature of the affliction was specifically tailored for him.  Waking up in an unfamiliar body had been absolutely frightening, the prospect of never returning to his previous form even more.  After describing the situation to the talisman manufacturer, they even suggested that Site refrains from ever attempting making until the situation was sorted out.  Apparently, they suspected that there was some automatic response when the curse encountered the afflicted’s magical particles which would serve to permanently cripple the young boy.

Site, swept his blonde hair from his eyes as he looked down at the documents, “It really has been…”  His voice trailed off as he failed to find any additional words.

“Has been what?”  The youth almost made all the papers on the duchess’s desk scatter onto the floor, but the same person who startled Site in the first place deftly intercepted their course.  “You sure are clumsy, Site, that could’ve made a big mess.”  They were a man who seemed to be around the same age as Fiche/Twenty.  They had messy locks of beige blonde done back into a wild ponytail, crimson eyes, darkly colored clothes foreign to Site, and had a jovial atmosphere.  Site’s words were delayed as the man grinned, placing the documents to their appropriate places.

“Well, actually, it was actually your fault I got startled in the first place-”  Wait, why was he starting out with that?  There was a much more pressing matter at hand, “Wait!  Who are you supposed to be?”  Earlier he had been rather timid when Twenty suddenly appeared in the study, but with both he and the duchess in the building it’d be fine to be a bit bold.

The strange man’s eyes widened a bit in surprise, but after a moment he let out a hearty laugh, “Oh, you don’t recognize me, Site?  I did just do you a major favor by dealing with your curse, but if you plan on being cheeky it isn’t like it’s completely gone…”

“H-Huh?!  Twenty??  But, how-?”  Gone were the horns, long ears, and even the wings.  Now Twenty seemed completely human, but the fact he was able to change his appearance to such a degree suggested otherwise.

“Yeah, I mix up my appearance sometimes.  I’d been sticking with my prior one for way longer than I usually do.”  The man said with a shrug, his mocking grin only serving to agitate Site.

“What do you mean ‘mix up’?  How was I even supposed to know that?”  He shot back with uncharacteristic force.

“Did you mean to say that in your head?”  Annoyingly, Twenty’s grin only intensified, “I’m asking because it came out of your mouth.”

“W-Well…!”  Site cursed the fact he let his guard down around someone as suspicious as Twenty.  Sure, knowing that the duchess was willing to bring him into the house was a plus, but everything else was just a bunch of question marks.  “What are you even here for?  Weren’t you talking to Duchess Taylor?”

“Oh, you mean Winnie, right?  Well, she, uh,”  For the first time since meeting the strange man, Site witnessed him hesitate, “She wanted me to ask you to take me to the graveyard?  Yeah, you can just give me the directions and I’ll go on my own.”

The blonde was shocked by the reserved way Twenty was scratching his head, even more than when the man suddenly appeared out of thin air.  However, as he looked at the strange man awkwardly glancing between him and the desk, Site was faced with a person who couldn’t be found intimidating in the slightest.  So far the only time he was actually scary was when Twenty was legitimately upset, and it wasn’t like the duchess let just about anyone into the manor.  If the Duchess trusted Twenty to be around Site, there was no reason to be apprehensive around him.  It wasn’t a coincidence that there were so few servants working in the manor.  After the young boy was cursed by one such servant, the Duchess had an extremely ironclad policy about people being around Site.  A maid once made the mistake of taking her friend for a tour around the gardens, and the moment the Duchess learned of it that maid was immediately fired.  From the moment Site met her, it was clear Duchess Taylor was not a lenient person.

“Don’t worry about it,”  The young boy finally said with a sigh, slipping out of his chair.  “Let’s go together.”

“What??  But you seriously don’t need to-”

“I’ve been sitting down for a while, so let’s go.”  Site replied, dismissing Twenty’s attempts at a rebuke as he strode into the hallway.

“Weird, I fancied you for the type who’s chair was glued to their ass, I mean, butt.”  Twenty corrected himself, following two paces behind Site.

“What?”  Site’s bright blue eyes narrowed as he whipped around to face Twenty.  “Why would anything be stuck to my butt?”

The young man crossed his arms, laughing lightly, “No, it doesn’t mean anything, nothing at all~”  Him saying it like that gave Site the opposite impression.  “But I still want to know why you’re going out of your way to do something like this, Site.”

The young boy let out a huff, “You’re still calling me Site, so I don’t have to answer that question.”  He turned away from Twenty as he stepped out into the manor’s exterior.  “Either way, I’m just doing this cause I feel like it.  I’m not going out of my way to do anything.  It’s been a while since I visited my father’s grave, so I might as well do it with you.”

The rest of the walk was filled with nothing but silence, but it wasn’t like it was unpleasant.  Site had a lot of matters regarding his territory to think about, so a nice walk only helped.  Soon the two entered into the most secluded part of the manor’s expansive garden: a fresh patch of grass containing a large yet gentle wisteria tree.  At the moment, it was the ideal time of season to see the white blossoms in their full beauty.

“So, um, this is it.”  Site said, glancing at Twenty.  He had expected some kind of expression from the strange man, but instead, he was met only by a face masking all emotion.

“Huh, so there’s no marker?”

“What do you mean?  The marker’s right there.”  Site sighed, gesturing to the incredibly obvious wisteria tree.

“That isn’t what I-”  Twenty let out a sigh of his own, placing his face in his hand.  “Hey, Site, has anyone told you you’re a real cheeky brat at times?”

“No?”  He tilted his head quizzically, “Where’d you get that impression from?”

“...I’m going to have to ask Winnie what the heck kind of environment you grew up in.  Still,”  The young man stepped towards the wisteria tree.  Site could’ve sworn there was a forlorn hint in his crimson eyes as he gazed at the tree’s knotted trunk.  “So this is it, Dec.  Now that I’m here, I don’t really have much to say,”  He bent down to touch the earth at the tree’s base, Site watching in silence as this odd person seemed to blend into the scenery of Rowan’s final resting place.  That is until Twenty stood back up, walking back to Site with a small smile.  “Alright, sorry for hogging it.  You can do what you need to now with your parents, it’s none of my business.”

“Ah, that’s okay, I’m already done.  But,”  Site began to feel a bit awkward, fidgeting before finally letting out his words.  “My mother’s actually buried somewhere else, so…”

“Oh, is that so?”  Twenty seemed to ponder for a moment before breaking out into a wide grin, “My bad, kiddo!  I guess just assumed.”  He patted Site’s back with just a bit too much strength.

“Y-Yeah, well Duchess Taylor explained things to you, right?  So now you’ll be going back to… wherever you came from?”

Twenty frowned, “Didn’t you hear me say that I’m from Ca-Elum?  I’m the guild master.  The guild master.”  He announced, his voice getting just a tad louder as he walked alongside Site.

“Well, sorry I don’t know what you mean by that.”  the young boy shot back, “I’m not even one-hundred percent sure were Ca-Elum is.  I’ve only gotten the chance to study things that’ll be immediately helpful to me.”

“What, you’ve never looked at a map?  It’s an ocean apart from Fiore, so if you go south enough from here you’ll be in there.  But yeah, I don’t plan on staying here too long.  I’ve got plenty of business to attend to.”

“Oh really,”  Site muttered, his eyes traveling to the pale sky.  “Maybe I’ll be able to visit one day…”

“Huh?”  Twenty raised an eyebrow, “What are you talking about?  You’re coming with me.”  However, Site only made a confused expression of his own.  “I talked to Winnie about it, so she’s going to lend you to me for a while.  Now then, pack your bags, Site!  We’ve got a long journey ahead of us!  Well, not too long, I don’t really have time for admiring the scenery.”

“...huh?”


“Okay Winnie, you’ve still got one more question of mine to answer,”  Twenty said plainly as the woman relocked the study door.

“Twenty, how come you didn’t recognize Site right away?  He takes after his father.”

The adventurer frowned, “I memorize magic signatures, not faces.  He was being all muddled by the curse, but I mistook it for being natural.  Anyways, stop playing coy, hag.  Tell me what happened to this territory.”

Lizbeth opened her mouth to speak, sighed, and only then found words to speak.  “Rowan was killed years ago, and Sigil herself was the one who admitted to committing the deed.”

“What the-?!”  Twenty’s eyes steeled as he gazed at the duchess.  “Are you sure there wasn’t any foul play?  Nothing from manufacturers or even another noble family?”

The blonde shook her head, “I asked Sigil thousand of times before her execution, but she really was turning herself in.”

“Execution, huh…”  The aetherial reclined against a wall, “So that’s how their story ended, one murdered and the other executed for the crime?  What bullshit.”

“And yet Rowan has now become the most legendary of the Decarus line.”

Twenty shot a sharp glare at his old friend, “That’s the opposite of what Dec would’ve wanted.  To be the final and best Decarus… no, he wanted to be the foundation for something special… How’s the kid been doing?”

The duchess sighed, “I sincerely can’t say.  The issue of his physical safety is over, but I can’t do anything else for him.”  A smile spread across her face, one that seemed to almost be mocking herself, “All he knows about Rowan is from what people told him and I’m not sure if he even remembers Sigil’s face.”

Silence.

“Well,”  Twenty stepped towards the duchess, a dark haze enveloping his figure, “I guess it has been a while since I changed the face of the guild master.”  Slowly, the strange mist disappeared to reveal an entirely different appearance.  Disheveled beige blonde hair tied into a ponytail, crimson eyes, and muted clothing.  “Mind if I bring the kid on a field trip?”

Lizbeth self-deprecating smile formed cracks as a musical laugh rose from her throat, “After all these decades of the guild master being an ageless demon, you’re suddenly killing him off?  How irresponsible, you’re surely going to be going through all sorts of inconveniences.”  Her previously cold eyes bore a youthful light unfit for a middle-aged woman.  “Alright then, give the urchin an experience he’ll never forget.  I can only manage the territory for a few years by myself, so come back before then, alright? And make sure to take care of your master this time, you mangy mutt.”


Althea couldn’t help but let out a sigh as she watched the scene unfold.  She was still in her coffin-like boat, floating through the air as she looked upon the fuzzy memory below.  The figures for both Twenty and Lizbeth were already blurring and their voices becoming more and more muffled.  Then again, she did manage to get plenty of info about Twenty’s prior interactions with Site through the memory.  However, now she was getting committed to knowing the full story.  Staying in the dreamscape for a longer period would allow her to look through all the memories she wanted to as well as get used to the authority enough to use it practically.

“Kyahaha, that was pretty interesting.  I never would’ve guessed it was like that.”  But then again, she had to deal with the Angel of Dreams, but you couldn’t always win in life.

“I can’t believe your ego is so persistent,”  Althea murmured as she watched the pixie-like figure of the aetherial hover in the air.  “And you were the one who wanted to be erased or whatever.”

“Oh, well, sometimes it’s like that, y’know?”  The creature turned towards the blonde, “I just didn’t hand my authority to you in the most perfect manner available.  It’s hard to erode reality, so be satisfied with what you get.”

Althea’s eyes narrowed, “Sure, you messed with my magic type so much that only my water magic was untouched.  I don’t even know what I should call it now.”

The creature’s small figure shrugged, “Well, you were already polluted with aether.  Don’t go around blaming me.  More importantly,”  The angel floated towards the dark, murky liquid the coffin-boat was currently floating in before diving right in.  And before Althea even had time to express her annoyance at how the aetherial just disappeared for no apparent reason, the Angel of Dreams emerged from the liquid darkness.  However, one could barely call it the same being.  Long golden locks and crimson eyes, it was a form reminiscent of the humanoid form Althea’d seen from the creature before.  However, the pale gold crown, miniskirt, tube top, gloves, and high-heeled boots were entirely new.  The clothes showed a rather ridiculous amount of skin, but the most striking feature had to be the black and red bat wings emerging from the top of her head.